Autumn Leaves
by Flyla
Summary: On this particular morning of their journey, Riesz realizes that the Navarre Thief is more to her than just a comrade.


Author's Note: This fic was based off a fanart I saw on this great Japanese SD3 fansite, the links to which can be found in my profile. Since most of the scenarios depicted in these fanarts just would not work with a trio of characters, in this fanfic Riesz and Hawkeye are traveling alone and are just about to enter Forcena for the first time.

Enjoy!

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Codename: Autumn Leaves  
Seiken Densetsu 3  
Hawk x Riesz

The weather was turning cooler around Forcena; autumn was in full swing. The trees were a sea of red, orange, and everything in between. A sight to behold for those unfamiliar with the fall foliage.

Not far from the Kingdom, a pair of travelers was sleeping amongst the trees, having never seen anything quite like change in color. The air, though not as warm as spring, was still very mild. The travelers were unfamiliar with such comfortable weather conditions as well; one had suffered through the grueling heat of the deserts while the other braced herself against the harsh winds of the mountains. They were awed by the season of fall and decided to take a break in their travels to take in as much of it as possible before they really had to move on.

A red leaf broke free of its branch and gently wafted down upon the golden head of one of the travelers; the unexpected touch of it waking her up. Blinking her blue eyes open, the Amazoness Riesz tried to focus her eyes. The intertwined branches and leaves above her surprised her momentarily, until she had remembered that the day before she and her companion had decided to camp out. They hadn't even cared to use sleeping rolls.

As her eyes adjusted, Riesz couldn't help but fall for the beautiful colors of the trees all over again. Her mountainous kingdom Rolante was not a popular place for agriculture, including trees. She had never known that fall could be so breath taking.

Sighing, she tried to stretch herself out but found her arm was flush up against something warm. Turning her head to see what it was, Riesz gasped and felt her cheeks flush. Hawk was sleeping soundly besides her. He was on his side, facing her and using his left arm to cushion his head while his right arm...

Riesz tried to ignore the gentle pressure of the arm that was thrown loosely over her stomach. He must have reached out in his sleep, it was completely innocent, she reasoned. The best way to deal with this embarrassing situation was to slip quietly away before Hawk noticed...

She was startled when Hawk suddenly pulled her up against his chest as she tried to ease herself away from his grasp. Her eyes widened with fear as she looked at his face; was he awake?

But his features were relaxed, and he was breathing deeply. She wondered how he knew she was trying to escape, but remembered that Hawk was a thief. It was probably just a reflex to clutch her back when it felt like something he was holding was slipping away. Calming down slightly, she let her eyes focus on the peaceful expression painted on Hawk's face.

This was not the first time her heart had swelled while stealing glances at him. Or the first time she had felt choked by guilt.

These feelings were wrong. Hawk was from Navarre; the land that invaded her kingdom, stole her brother, and harbored Isabella... Even if Hawk was exiled, he would never be seen as anything but a Navarre Thief by her people.

Her eyes blurred with tears and she looked away from him. She had to cut away her heart; it could never be.

"Don't cry," a voice, thick with sleep whispered.

Startled, she looked up and saw one golden eye cracked open at her. A moment later, his hand left her side and she felt his calloused fingers brush some tears away. "Hawk...?" she breathed.

"I'll help you get your brother back from Isabella..." His hand worked its way through her bangs and he cupped her cheek, "So don't cry, okay?"

Her eyes widened with clarity and the tears came on harder. Confused, Hawk pulled her head to his shoulder and held her. Riesz gripped his shoulders and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

She thought he would flirt with her, or make some snide comment about her crying when he woke up. But he had gently consoled her. Told her that he would help her, instead of telling her to be strong and do her duty. Though he was off in his assessment, his words made Riesz realize the truth.

It was too late.

She was in love with Hawk. A banished thief, with nothing to his name save the fact that he should be her enemy.

How did this happen? She knew she felt something like a crush for Hawk... When had it turned into this desperate feeling?

He was stroking her hair now, still trying to comfort her over something that _should_ be concerning her most. Elliot... When was the last time she had worried more about him than Hawk? Lately, whenever Hawk vanished from sight, her heart would leap into her throat until he reappeared from the shadows to surprise their enemies. Elliot was a helpless boy, kidnapped by ruthless thieves... yet her fear for him had mitigated since meeting Hawk.

Should she tell him? No. He did not... Or at least should not, feel the same. He was trying to save that girl from Isabella. And she had never told him that she was Rolante's Princess. All she had revealed was that her home was destroyed... And her brother had been kidnapped. She neglected to mention Elliot was the Prince.

She tried to pull away, wiping her eyes furiously, but was shocked when his lips pressed against her forehead.

"What am I going to do with you, Riesz?" he murmured. She remained absolutely still. He was teasing her. He did this all the time. But he had never kissed her in any way before...

"Wh-what do you mean...?" she said.

"Oh, nothing," he said softly. His hand had reached down to play with the pink frills of her skirt, and he leaned close to whisper into her ear, "You just make a guy jealous of your brother is all."

Stunned into silence, Riesz numbly let go of Hawk as he sat up and stretched. She remained lying down as he gathered his things together and whistled a carefree tune, lost in what he had just said.

Slowly, she pushed herself off the ground and looked back to the trees overhead.

Yes. It was far too late.

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Author's Note: I can't be too sure, but I think that when you play the game with Riesz in your party and she is not the Mana Knight, she does not say she is Rolante's Princess when explaining her situation to the Priest of Light, though it is heavily implied (it's been a while since I've played though, so I wouldn't bet my life on it). So that was why in this fic I wanted to play with that idea for a bit, and I had ideas for a sort of spiritual sequel where Hawk did find out Riesz was Rolante's Princess and how they dealt with that. Anyway, hope you liked it.


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